Canadian Market Suspends Sales of Adderall XR

On February 9, 2005, Canadian regulators suspended all sales of the long-acting stimulant medication Adderall XR. The decision was based on safety information released by the manufacturer, specifically, 20 reports of sudden deaths linked to the medication over the course of four years.

Currently, the FDA has no plans to remove the drug from the U.S. market, citing pre-existing conditions in some of the patients as well as the relative rarity of the deaths when compared to the 30 million prescriptions written within that time period. The FDA is deciding whether to conduct its own study of the drug, and will continue to closely monitor safety reports.

Stay turned for an in-depth look at the Adderall XR story in the next issue of ADDitude magazine.